As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100 comprises a cyclone body 110 and a filter 130 disposed in the cyclone body 110. A reference numeral 3 designates a main body of the vacuum cleaner (FIG. 2). The cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100 is disposed in a receiving portion 10 of the main body 3. The main body 3 is provided with an inlet connecting pipe 13 (FIG. 2) and an outlet connecting pipe 14 at a rear portion of the receiving portion to introduce air containing a foreign substance into the cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100. The outlet connecting pipe 14 (FIG. 2) exhausts purified air in which foreign substances are removed by the cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100.
The cyclone body 110 is provided with an inlet port 113 and an outlet port 115. A dust collecting container 120 is removably connected to a lower side of the cyclone body 110. The inlet port 113 is formed at a side surface of the cyclone body 110 in a tangential direction, and coupled to the inlet connecting pipe 13 of the main body 3. The air introduced through the inlet connecting pipe 13 is discharged through the inlet port 113 to the cyclone body 110 and then forms a vortex current. The foreign substance contained in the air is separated by a centrifugal force of the vortex current and collected in the dust collecting container 120.
The outlet port 115 is formed at a center portion of an upper surface of the cyclone body 110 and connected to the outlet connecting pipe 14 of the main body 3. Thus, air in which the foreign substance is separated by the centrifugal force can be exhausted through the outlet connecting pipe 14.
A filter 130 is disposed within the dust collecting container 120, as coupled to an opening surface of the outlet port 115. The filter 130 filters fine dust included in the air stream in which foreign substances are separated by the centrifugal force. Air passing through the filter 130 is exhausted through the outlet connecting pipe 14 to the outside. The filter 130 also functions to prevent a backflow of air.
However, in the conventional cyclone type dust collecting apparatus 100 for a vacuum cleaner, foreign substances separated by the centrifugal force and collected in the dust collecting container are floated with an ascending air current, and thus collide with the filter or attach to an outer surface of the filter. Therefore, a smooth flow of the air stream is disturbed and noise is also generated. In case so much foreign substances are contained in the air stream, it is difficult to fully utilize the filtering function of the single filter disposed in the conventional cyclone type dust collecting apparatus. Furthermore, it is inconvenient because the filter needs to be replaced frequently.